Heres her story, as told to writer Cindy Kuzma.
As a professional track-and-field runner, my life goes by four-year cyclesits all about theOlympics.
But after that, I was hurt, in a bad spot with my Achilles tendon.
Courtesy of Ricardo Lima/Johnny Pace
I felt like I was heading into the 2024 season playing catch-up.
My fitness was just starting to improve when we arrived there this past May.
One Friday I went to the grocery store with my husband.
From the first moment, I felt like something was really wrong.
On the ride back home, I started tearing up, getting a little bit emotional.
I had just done blood testing at the beginning of altitude camp and everything was fine.
That day, I worked out early by myself, running and lifting weights.
I wanted to be prepared for that.
The next week, I would learn that I had stage I, triple-positive breast cancer.
That means its highly treatable, because it responds to hormone therapy.
Ill be taking a new medication, ribociclib, that was just approved in September.
Ill stay on it for three years and then well re-evaluate.
Throughout all this, I decided to keep training for the Olympics.
I wanted to keep chasing my dream.
I decided cancer was not going to be the theme of the year.
I didnt want everything to stop because of this, unless my doctorstoldme I needed to stop.
But for the third, I was drained.
I had nothing else in me, so I made the hard decision to stop.
I didnt run in Portugals Olympic Trials, which could have qualified me for the Paris Games.
But I was at peace; I didnt feel like I quit.
To keep going, I needed to perform at a certain level, and I just couldnt.
But I also feel like track and field prepared me for this moment.
There is so much Ive learned as an athlete that has carried me through.
Set goals, but dont hang your happiness on achieving them.
I didnt know if I would be able to make the Olympics after my diagnosis.
But none of my teammates did eitherno athlete does.
Goalsarent the destination, theyre the direction.
You set them, then you do the hard work and see what happens.
You might fall short, end up right at it, or even go beyond your goal.
Thats the beauty of the sportand life.
And while youre pursuing those goals, be present and focus on all the little joys.
But we should not be holding our happiness hostage.
The losses might not be as devastating as you fear.
In April, just thinking about not making the Olympic team destroyed me.
But this summer, I watched the Games, and it wasnt that deep.
I felt like, Its not my moment.
Im more than an athlete, more than what I do.
This was the first summer in 12 years that I didnt compete.
This made me slow down in a way I didnt think I would ever be able to.
I kept training, but I scheduled my workouts around my surgeries and my fertility treatments.
But my mindset was different than during previous injuries.
It wasnt like, Oh, I wish I was at the Olympics, but instead Im here biking.
The opportunity thats gone is gone; its about whats ahead.
That shift was powerful for me.
Honor your body with rest.
When Im lacking it, I cant be as pragmatic, I cant be as calm.
Everything seems a lot harder than it is.
It also helps with sleep andanxiety.
I feel good about showing up for my body in a different way.
Use the sandwich method to manage mental health.
Its amazing how well this works to balance out the low moments.
Lean on your team, but know that you have to do the work too.
On my way home, I called my husband, my coach, and my athletic trainer, Sarah.
Sarah, my husband, and I then talked to the doctor and made a plan.
Afterward, I told my teammates.
I was honest, but also made some jokes.
I wanted to keep the energy positive.
They kept their promise on that!
Ive been working with my sports psychologist for six years now, and he plays a huge role too.
But while therapists are important, theyre not going to save you.
Our mental health is important, not just for us, but for the people around us.
We need to keep investing in it.
Control whos in your (metaphorical) locker room.
The flip side of that is its okay to set boundaries.
You dont need unsolicited advice, and its okay to withdraw from conversations that make you uncomfortable.
Ive had a few of these, especially around my potential retirement.
Its hard, because especially as women, were always trying to be polite.
It can sound rough, but Ive really been tapping into it.
Its okay if people dont agree with you.
Think about it like the locker roomyou want your coach, your trainer, the massage therapist.
But you dont want too many other people there, and you get to decide who you let in.
Celebrate along the way.
That night, I got more friends together to ring another bell.
I want to keep commemorating the little things.
I hope to have more to celebrate next year on the track.
I am already having a comeback seasonmyfirst race backwas on November 24.
But Ill have a different mindset as I see how far I can go.
Running is something that I do and I care about for me, not for anyone else.
But if I dont try, I wont make it, and thats a guarantee.
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